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Report: Turkiye’s Erdogan, Syria’s Assad likely to speak over phone

August 10, 2022 at 8:53 am

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) meets Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) in Tehran, Iran on 19 July 2022. [Ali Balıkçı/Anadolu Agency]

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian regime President Bashar Al-Assad may hold a phone conversation as suggested by their Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the pro-government Türkiye newspaper reported.

Putin and Erdogan met in Sochi last Friday to discuss a range of issues, including Syria, the Ukraine crisis and the energy issue in Europe.

The paper quoted informed sources as saying: “President Erdogan told journalists onboard his plane on the way back [from Sochi], that despite the presence of terrorist structures on the border with Syria, Putin suggested to resolve this matter with the Syrian government [President Bashar Al-Assad].”

The paper added that Putin also called for a meeting between the Turkish and Syrian sides, Russia Today reported.

However, they added that Ankara believes it was “too early” to hold this meeting but did not rule out the possibility that Erdogan and Assad speak on the phone.

According to the newspaper, a Gulf state and an African Muslim country are also mediating between Ankara and Damascus.

The paper pointed out that work is underway to form a joint committee between Ankara and Damascus, with experts who know the region well, as part of negotiations between the two sides.

It added that sources believe Turkiye, Russia, Iran and Syria may carry out a joint military operation against the Syrian Democratic Forces in northern Syria.

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